Not all darkness is bad, and not all light is good
by NinjaLace9
Summary: When Lucy is first Marked, she was glad to get away from her not-so-great life and move to the House of Night. But when her life is threatened by a power crazy fledgling, will she take the risk to go home? Or will she face the tyrant and possibly change her fate?
1. Chapter 1

Walking down the main hallway of Summerfield High, Lucy Bragg felt awful. No, awful wasn't the right word...More like _ghastly._ To add on top of that, Holly wouldn't shut up.

"I can't believe that he would do something like that! What am I supposed to do? Sit around while he continues to shave the years off of the end of his life?" Holly, Lucy's wannabe friend, babbled endlessly.

"Just because your incompetent boyfriend decided to take a shot of whiskey _one time_ does not mean it's the end of the world." I snapped back, not in the mood to deal with Holly's conservative boyfriend. Speaking of boyfriends, mine rounded the corner. Thinking fast, for once, I ducked into the bathroom at the last second to avoid who my mom called 'The Lady User'.

I managed to silence the brunette as Tré strode past the girls bathroom, relieving me of having to deal with my over-attached boyfriend. Why couldn't I listen to my mother for once and not date the first hot guy I saw without looking deeper? Peeking my head out of the restroom, I saw the back of my bulky boyfriend and tried to sneakily tiptoe behind the star linebacker when a gross hacking cough racked my slender frame.

 _"Shit"_ I hid the curse word behind a stunning smile. Tré smiled back and enveloped me in a hug. A lot of people in school say that we're a cute couple. Honestly, I don't see it. I mean, a big muscular black linebacker paired with a skinny blonde cheerleader? Ehhh. Seems kind of stereotypical. I was released from his bear hug and let out another cough.

"You okay there C?" Tré asked with a look of worry. I had learned long ago that this concern was only because Holly was there. As for the cute nickname, he stole it from my best friend.

"Yeah, I'll be fine, it's just a little cough," I replied, smiling as if everything was okay. This would be the time that Merry, my bestest friend in the entire world would save the day by swooping in and carrying to safety. Sadly she was not going to do that anytime soon, because she moved three states up to Iowa.

My back pocket buzzed and Tré reached into it and grabbed my phone before I could stop him.

"Tré! Give it back!" I leaped into the air, trying to snag my iPhone before he could do anything else to harm me. He held it over my head, which I would need a step ladder to reach, because he was 6' 5". I heard Holly 's phone buzz too. She pulled it out and went wide eyed.

"C! Cheerleading practice is uncanceled! We have to go now!" After I rolled my eyes at her use of grammar, I made one last flying leap at my phone and somehow managed to actually grab it.

"Bye babe!" I called over my shoulder to Tré. (He's not the only one who can act) As I was cartwheeling down the hallway, I ran into a creepy looking dude. He was unfazed, and after my head stopped spinning, I noticed the sapphire crescent moon placed perfectly in the center of his forehead. Aztec knots framed his eyes, and for a split second, I thought that he would go after Tré.

But no. In a serene, but commanding voice, he said,

"Lucy Bragg! Night has chosen thee; thy death will be thy birth. Night calls to their; hearken to Her sweet voice. Your destiny awaits you at the House of Night!" He pointed a long pale finger at me and I felt a sharp, burning pain on my forehead and stumbled backwards. Hearing the faint scream of Holly, I blacked out.

 **Disclaimer! I do not own any of the original characters or events in the House of Night series. I'm only on the second book, so any similarity in names is coincidental.**

 **Sorry the first chapter is so short, I didn't want to have an entire backstory before Lucy getting Marked.**


	2. Chapter 2

I woke up in the Nurse's Office with a killer headache and the entire Summerfield Cobraettes cheerleading squad crammed into the tiny clinic. Jessica, my fellow flyer sister, looked up from her phone.

"Guys! She's awake!"

I was instantly flooded by navy blue with white accents bows and cheerleading uniforms. They helped me into a sitting position as I coughed loudly. They all stared awkwardly at me until my coach finally broke the silence, asking me if I was feeling well enough to go to practice. No, I wasn't, but I wasn't going to show any signs of weakness in front of the cheerleaders that were the stereotype that people thought they were. I nodded and they burst into the school's fight song.

"Goooo Cobras! We coil, we fight, we strike you with might! Our hood symbols fear and strength, and we will BITE!"

I was hefted from the hard clinic bed and we did cartwheels down the empty halls. Speaking of empty, where was my dumbass boyfriend? I made it to the locker room without coughing, but the moment of peace didn't last long. I hacked like a cat with a furball lodged in its throat. Stumbling to my locker, I quickly (but not cough free) changed into my uniform.

Adjusting my bow, I walked into the gym and joined the rest of the girls on the red cushioned mat to practice. Sadly, before I could do anything exciting (or life threatening) my aunt called Coach and told her to tell me to get my sorry ass home. I didn't bother to change back into my jean shorts, or what my prude sister called them, the Booty Shorts, and razorback blue cheer tank. (I was told to wear it, people who think I'm obsessed with cheer)

I threw my shoes in my locker and slipped on my grey vans, carrying my clothes to my main locker and placing them neatly inside my cute Aeropostale backpack. Walking through the front doors of my school in a parade of coughing, I dug through my purse for my car keys. As soon as I stepped foot outside, the sun blazed into my soul and burned within.

Okay...maybe not that bad, but still, it hurts. I snagged my keys and raced towards my 2013 Lexus LF-FC. Yes I know that's a really expensive car, but technically I won it in a raffle. Technically. The engine turned over with a snarl. Out of my Sun-pained peripheral, I saw a very large figure running in my direction. Throwing my Lexus into reverse and flooring it, I thanked whatever gods or goddesses that my aunt taught me how to drive backwards really well.

A teacher honked at me from her reserved parking space and I switched my car back to 'D'. The moment I did, I had to brake hard to avoid hitting the very large figure that decided to step in front of my car.

"What do you want Tré?" I coughed and he backed up.

"To see if what Holly said was true. She was right. You are a monster."

Before I could snap back with a jabbing remark, (and cough) he changed his mind. "Wait...scratch that, you're a freak,"

"At least I won't be stuck here surrounded by hoes tomorrow when they find out that I left," I spat back. "Then you might actually want me back,"

When he looked as if he was going to say more, I floored my pedal once again and sped away, letting the tears stream down my face. I rolled up my window and wiped away the saltwater running down my face to preserve my cheerleading uniform. I automatically turned into the Starbucks drive-through and hoped Denise was working the window.

Denise was the only person over eighteen who I trusted to tell my secrets. I always came to Starbucks after cheer practice, so the Tuesday employees pretty much knew me and my order.

"Hi, welcome to Starbucks. What would you like to order?" A voice crackles through the deteriorating speaker.

"Denise?" I asked wearily, and let out a really wheezing hack.

"One Grande sweet tea, and by the sound of your voice, a chocolate chip cookie as well,"

"Thank you,"

I pulled forward and stopped at the window, slowly rolling down my window until Denise could see my Mark. I sighed at her shocked expression. She handed me my tea and cookie.

"I thought it was about Tré..." She sputtered, at a loss for words.

Out of nowhere, I exploded into laughter. She laughed nervously, obviously concerned with my sanity. My insane giggles turned to hacking and I cleared my throat.

"I have a tattoo like you now," I said, and she fingered the snake that curled around her wrist.

My phone rang loudly and shattered the sad, awkward silence. I picked it up and sighed again at my caller I.D. I answered it, preparing for the worst. My aunt shouted through the phone,

"WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?"

I tried to keep my voice calm as I replied, "I'm at Starbucks, I'll be home in a minute,"

I won't say what she said next, because it would require a lot of censors. A lot. I hung up, said goodbye to Denise, and started to drive home. But, couldn't help myself and stopped at Wal-Mart to get four chocolate bars and an Xbox game. I quickly started home again and parked in the street. Which was totally unusual for me since there was plenty of room in our four car garage. I climbed the fence and jumped to my twin brother's balcony, hanging on to the edge of the railing. I swung over the railing and knocked four times on the glass door.

He opened the door and quickly pulled me inside, enveloping me in a hug.

"Who are you and what have you done to Luke?" I said into his shoulder, coughing on his shirt.

"Lucy, it's six o'clock! Where have you been?" He whispered yelled at me.

"Ummm, school, cheer, Starbucks, Wal-Mart, and now here. I got you these," I whispered back to him, holding up the chocolate bars.

He took them and pushed me out of his room, shoving me in the direction of Logan's room. (Yes we all have L names. Get over it.) I threw a look at my twin and he pushed me harder. I sighed and knocked four times again. Multiple locks unlatched and the door opened. My shaggy haired brother was the exact opposite of me and my twin, who were blonde haired and blue eyed. His brown hair and green eyes were girl hungry and there was always one at his side.

He pulled me into his room as well, and I was shoved into a closet as my aunt's voice drifted up the stairs.

"Lucy? Are you upstairs?"

I held my breath as she opened the door to Logan's room. I heard his faked outraged cry of his privacy being invaded. I watched her turn towards the closet through the slightly ajar crack between the hinges. She sighed and pulled the door open revealing my hiding spot, that I was more or less pushed into.

"I was pushed," I said when she gave me one if those 'why-does-my-only-niece-have-to-be-rebellious' looks. The look quickly dissipated when her eyes floated up to my Mark. I coughed as if to confirm I was a vampyre.

"What on earth did you _do_?"

Technically I didn't _do_ anything, but I wasn't about to tell her that. She pulled me out of the smelly closet and down the stairs. We passed a mirror and that was when I finally saw my Mark. It was a perfect sapphire blue. But it wasn't the only thing that had changed. My eyes were large and had darkend, and my skin was really pale. Now I knew why the clerk at Wal-Mart was staring so hard.

She made me sit on the couch as she made a frantic call. Before she finished dialing I knew who she was calling. My dad would not be pleased, but it wasn't him who I was worried about. It was the woman he married that I was worried about. He would contact her to deal with my 'girl problems'. She thought that she was my mother and that me and my hormones were her job to deal with. Nope. Wrong. My mother disappeared and never returned.

I sent Luke a telepathical twin help signal, needing some sibling assistance. He strode down the stairs a couple of seconds later. He looked from me to my aunt who was frantically describing to my stepmother the situation at hand. He held up three fingers, did a rolling motion with his fingers, and pointed to the back door. I nodded, counted to three, and sprang into action. Literally.

I did a triple front handspring, somersaulted under the kitchen table, barely managing to avoid all of the chairs, and dove out of the back door that my twin so nicely opened. Sprinting across our backyard, (and hacking all the way) I noticed that the sky had darkened. I jumped the fence again and raced towards my brother's pick-up truck. When I heard the sound of Finley being let loose, I ran faster. Finley is an aggressive poodle that will attack anything that moves. He was bought by my stepmother three years ago on their first wedding anniversary.

I hate that dog. Just as I jumped into the bed of the pick-up, sharp teeth came in contact with my bare foot.

"Finley, you little ******!" I cursed at the poodle.

He realized that the moving object was the same person who fed him and let go. As soon as my twin put the key into the ignition, _she_ rounded the corner at top speed. My brother made a dangerous move, swerving defiantly around her Prius. The old pick-up coughed (like me! I'm so proud...) out smoke right as she passed, dousing her with fumes.

I squeezed through the back window of the truck and landed on an unhappy Logan.

We sped off, slowing down once we were out of the neighborhood. After some confusing Siri problems later, we had Google Maps set and began the route to the House of Night.

I stirred slightly when Luke braked, but was fully conscious when we collided with the other car. With me being my stupid self, I forgot to wear my seatbelt. I was thrown through the windshield onto the hood of the car and onto the pavement. I looked up in pain, saw the House of Night on the horizon and blacked out yet again.


End file.
